1970 Plymouth Sport Satellite - From Land And Sea

The addiction to speed isn't something you grow out of. Whether it's flying planes, driving fast cars, or goofing off in a boat, the same underlying obsession is there. For 71-year-old Bob Hewitt, stretching his sea legs was only part of the hobby. As a former professional drag boat racer, taking his passion for speed to the land was easy. His weapon of choice was this '70 Sport Satellite. The buildup would take two and a half years. He decided to take a great part in the buildup, and assembled most of the car with friends within his retirement community.

2/9An all-aluminum Indy Cylinder Head-built Hemi powers Bob's Satellite. Originally, the engine was to be built by Bob's friend, Dick Landy. Sadly, his health was failing at the time of the build, and Bob was forced to look elsewhere for his engine build. Indy supplied him with a "Legend" 528 ci motor filled with nothing but the best in aftermarket parts.

It's always a great idea to find a clean car to start with, or at least one that won't require too much bodywork. "The car was sound and straight, so I thought it would be great for the build," recalls Bob. The minimal bodywork and custom paint was handled by Al's Body and Paint as well as Drew Carriage Paints, both located in Covina, California. The hue is the eye-catching shade of Sublime from DuPont. A U.S. Body Source fiberglass six-pack hoodscoop is the only aftermarket addition to the body.

Below the beautiful bodywork resides a heavily modified suspension. The front suspension uses a 1 1/2-inch sway bar from Just Suspension, Edelbrock shocks, and factory disc brakes. The car has power steering, so Bob's B-Body is a little more comfortable to get around the road, too. Ensuring that he performs well at the track, appropriately sized 26x7.5-15 Mickey Thompson Sportsman fronts and 28x11.5-15 ET Streets out back get the job done. They are mounted to Centerline wheels sized 15x7 and 15x10, respectively. Supporting the rear are Super Stock leaf springs with adjustable QA1 shocks and an adjustable pinion snubber. The factory drum brakes just wouldn't cut it, so a Wilwood four-piston rear disc brake kit was installed to complement the front discs. For the rear, the 8 3/4 was upgraded with a Sure-Grip unit, 4.10 Richmond gears, and Dutchman axles. The chassis can handle the hit of the monster Hemi.

3/9

Bob's drag boats were powered by Dick Landy's engines. Naturally, when it came time to build a powerplant for his street project, he went to Dandy Dick first. Sadly, at the time, his health was failing, so this forced Bob to seek another engine builder as an alternative-enter Indy Cylinder Head. They built him a custom 528 Street Legend using an aluminum block as the heart of the project. Inside are forged Wiseco pistons with 10.5:1 compression on a 4.500-inch bore, forged Eagle H-Beam connecting rods, and a forged 4.15-inch stroke Eagle crankshaft that has been internally balanced. Bob claims he can run on pump gas at 35-degrees of timing, and he proved this to us during the 2008 True Street Challenge in Las Vegas. The rules specify that you must fill your tank with pump gas and drive on the street and race with the same fuel. The Satellite found the 91-octane to be rather delicious and didn't argue one bit. A custom .549/.532-inch lift 305-degree duration Comp Cams camshaft uses a 106-degree lobe separation and gives the Hemi a nice, bumpy idle. On top is a pair of gasket-matched and ported aluminum Indy cylinder heads with Indy valvesprings and roller rockers. A Stage V dual-quad intake manifold and twin Holley 750 carburetors complete the air and fuel setup.

The 727 transmission was sent to Toy Shop in Pomona, California, to be rebuilt for the onslaught of power. It now boasts a 3,500-stall TCI torque converter, B&M Street Bandit shifter, and a shift kit. A TTI exhaust system efficiently relocates the exhaust fumes to the rear of the car through a set of 2 1/4-inch primary headers with 3-inch collectors and 3-inch Flowmaster 40-series mufflers.

7/9

Comfort is key on the inside for Bob, but so is safety. A six-point rollbar was welded to the frame, and Simpson four-point harnesses keep him and a passenger glued to the custom black leather and grey vinyl factory buckets. The stitch work was performed by Corona Upholstery in Corona, California. They also built the custom console and carbon fiber dash that's filled with Autometer gauges. Bob went to Extreme Audio of Fountain Valley, California, for the stereo that uses a Dual CD player to power the Jensen speakers.

A truly custom B-Body, Bob's Satellite isn't just a trailer queen or show car; it gets driven on the street. The project came together with the assistance of his friends Buster Baglierri, Frank Wright, Earl Stewart, Bobby Lucarell, Dave Haringa, Dennis Peterson, David Purcell, and Bob Cannon. Bob lucked out by having so many friends with such extensive background knowledge of cars. Together, they constructed a Sport Satellite that propels Bob's obsession for speed on the land. A Hemi-powered drag boat must be a blast, too.

Sure GripSuspension: Edelbrock front shocks and adjustable rear QA1s buffer the road imperfections and also help the 3,975-pound B-Body transfer its weight. A 1 1/2-inch front sway bar from Just Suspension helps tie down the front end during cornering. Out back, Super Stock leaf springs and a pinion snubber further enhance this Plymouth's potency at the strip.

Wheels and Tires: Centerline wheels deliver the classic drag racer look, and the tires deliver classic drag racer performance. The front wheels are 15x7 and the rears are 15x10. Mickey Thompson is the tire brand of choice for both front and rear. The fronts are 26x7.5-15 Sportsman and the rears are 28x11.5-15 ET Streets.

High ImpactPaint & Body: Bright Sublime and custom gloss black stripes dress this Satellite. The DuPont Chroma paint was sprayed by Body and Paint and Drew Carriage Paints, located in Covina, California. A U.S. Body Source fiberglass six-pack hood was installed for more aggressive looks and to grab more air for the Hemi.